Archive for June, 2018

With yet another petrol price increase looming, here are some tips on fuel-efficient driving and car maintenance that will help you stretch your paycheque further. If you own a company with a fleet of cars, it’s a great idea to circulate this article through the workplace to also help in reducing company vehicle fuel expenditure. It’s as simple as making minor tweaks and changes to your daily driving habits. Here are some key points to help you get started. Drive slower: The faster you drive, the more energy (fuel) is required to maintain speed. If you drive slower, your car will use less energy and overall fuel consumption will be drastically reduced. Increasing your highway cruising speed from 90km/h to 120km/h can raise fuel consumption as much as 20%. You can improve your fuel mileage 10 – 15% by driving at 90km/h rather than 104km/h. Drive smoother: Aggressive accelerating and braking quickly or unnecessarily can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40%. To reduce fuel consumption, rather accelerate slowly and smoothly. When braking, apply the brakes gently or alternatively take your foot off the accelerator. Change gears properly: Changing gears at the right time can reduce fuel consumption. It’s important to change gears without putting the engine under unnecessary strain. Don’t over rev the engine while changing gears, rather change gears smoothly to reduce fuel consumption. Change up through the gears and into top gear as soon as possible without accelerating harder than necessary. Driving in a gear lower than you need wastes fuel; so does letting the engine labour in top gear on hills and corners. Read the traffic: Anticipating the traffic and road ahead can reduce fuel consumption. For example, if a traffic light in the distance turns red, don’t speed up to it and brake suddenly to a stop. Rather reduce your speed or coast’ towards the traffic light. Be aware of traffic and the road ahead of you and drive accordingly to improve your fuel efficiency. Avoid excessive idling: Idling consumes fuel. If you are idling for longer than one minute, rather turn your engine off. The amount of fuel used to restart your engine is minimal compared to idling for long periods of time. Plan and combine trips: Planning and combining your everyday driving trips can reduce your overall fuel consumption. A single, combined trip is more economical than several, separate trips. Minimise use…

In the tough economic times, we are living in today, the importance of good car maintenance is more relevant now than ever. Whether it is a company or personal car, this advice applies to all. Now is as good a time as any to make sure that you keep up-to-date with regular maintenance services, believes Les Mc Master, Chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA). “If buying a new car isn’t a priority for financially feasible right now then ensuring your current vehicle or companies feel of vehicles is properly maintained should be,” said Mc Master. To be perfectly honest, if you own a fleet of company vehicles this article might help save you thousands of rands down the road. “Regular maintenance is key to extending the life of your car and will result in a better resale price at the end of the day. It is also a cost saver as regular servicing will help you pick up smaller repairs early enough to prevent more serious and costly faults occurring further down the line.” He advises motorists to keep a close eye on the car’s manual and schedule maintenance accordingly. “Even better, set a recurring reminder on your phone to alert you to get your vehicle checked annually. Keeping up with your car’s recommended maintenance schedule can help avoid costly problems with your cooling system, drivetrain, suspension and other components.” Motorists should also ensure their car is serviced by a reputable workshop that only uses quality oil, fluids, and parts. If you are more of a DIY kind of guy and maintain your vehicle your self, the same rules apply. Only using high-quality replacement and services parts, oil and other fluids which are all readily available at affordable prices from us, at Randburg Midas. “While it might sound like an attractive option to service your car as cheaply as possible, the financial implications, in the long run, will outweigh the apparent short-term benefit. It’s never wise to scrimp on your car’s maintenance costs.” In addition to regular maintenance, there are a number of other things motorists can do to extend a car’s life. Motorists should regularly check the level of fluids in their vehicles, such as the antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid. These items are conveniently available from Randburg Midas. He also advises motorists to monitor the thickness of their vehicle’s brake pad…